Beam drive



April 2, 1940.

E. L. RICHARDSON BEAM DRIVE Filed June 1, 1938 In vemtor:

o s m i h a PJ p MW y y E H i s Attorney. I

Patented Apr. 2, 1940 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 8mm Ernesthlflohardsomhlelrosahhsamssighorto General Electric New York Company, a corporation of Application June 1, loss, saw no. 211.22.:

Claims. 242-85) The present invention relates to beam drives. that is, to arrangements for driving a beam on which layers of-threads or bands of textile or paper are wound as usedin paper and textile mills. In arrangements of this kind the threads or bands of paper or textile are usually led at substantially constant speed to the beam.

ing the beam by frictional contact with the material wound thereon. The driving force-then is determined by the friction between the driving roll and the material wound on the beam in contact with the driving roll. With increasing diameter of the material wound on the beam the friction between'the material and the driving roll changes due to increasing weight of the ma terial wound on the beam.

, The object of my invention is to provide an improved beam drive arrangement whereby the aforementioned drawback is overcome andthe friction between the driving drum and the beam is maintained substantially constant. This is accomplished in accordance with my invention by the provision of an improved support for the beam which exerts a variable force on the beam, varying in response toincrease in weight of the 3 beam including the material wound thereon.

For abe'tter understanding of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention'is di-. rected to the following description and the claims appended thereto in connection with the accomm panyins drawing.

The single figure of the drawing illustratesdiagrammatically a beam drive arrangementin accordance with my invention.

The arrangement comprises a beam llfor receiving layers of thread or bands of textile or paper I I. These layers are wound onto the beam over a guide roll I2. The beam is driven by a drive mechanism which includes a motor It driving a roll, sometimes termed a batching roll, llby means of a belt II. The driving roll it drives the beam l0 through the frictional contact with the material wound onto the beam. As pointed out above, thedriving force then depends upon the friction between the material and 1 as he driving roll it and to assure proper winding and to prevent stretching and tearing of the material being wound it becomes necessary to provide supporting means for the beam it which supportsthe beam wltha force varying as the weight of the material wound on the beam increases. In the present instance the beam I0 is supported by bearing means I6 secured to a supportinglever i1.v The left-hand end of the lever I1 is held on a fulcrum I8. During starting operation the lever with the beam is comparativel'y light and. in order to assure sumcient friction contact between the beam and the driving roll ll, a weight I! is secured to a righthand end portion of the lever to bias the beam towards the driving roll I. A portion of the lever intermediate between, the 'beam and the weight I! is connected by a pivot 20 to a stem 2| which at its lower end is secured to a piston 22 movable in a hydraulic cylinder or servo motor 22. Fluid under pressure is supplied to the servo motor by a conduit 24 and discharged from the servo motor by a conduit 25. The fluid supply conduit 24 includes an orifice 26 and ahead of the orifice as regards the direction of flow of fluid therethrough a valve 21. The latter is positioned in response to pressure changes ahead of the orifice 26. To this end the valve 21 has a stem 22 connected to a diaphragm 29 forming part of a pressure-responsive device which has a pipe 20 connected to the conduit 24 intermediate the valve 21 and the orifice 26. If the pressure in the conduit 24 increases, the

valve 21 is moved towards closing position and if the pressure decreases, the valve 21 is further opened so that the pressure in the conduit near the orifice 26 is maintained substantially constant. The discharge conduit 25 includes a valve 2! with an arm 22 pivotally connected by a link to the right-hand end of the supporting lever During starting, that is, with little or no material on the beam, the supporting lever 11 is in its lowermost position. In this position the valve 2| is in its opening position, thus aflord- .ing no restriction to the flow of fluid under pressure through the conduit 25. The pressure then in the cylinder of the servo motor 23 is causes building up of pressure in the servo motor 23. The piston 22 thereby is forced upward with a force increasing with increasing weight of the beam. In other words, as the weight of the material on the beam increases, an increasing supporting force is exerted on the right-hand end of the beam by the servo motor to the eifect that the friction between the beam and the driving roll is maintained substantially constant. Without this additional supporting force exerted by the servo motor the friction between the beam and the driving roll would increase due to increasing weight of the beam which would lead to tea ing or stretching of the material being wound Witt my improved beam drive the pressure betwee l the driving roll and the beam is maintained substantially uniform, thus preventing damage of threads, fabric, paper or like fibrous material from crushing due to excessive contact pressure. The tension of threads or like material is maintained substantially uniform also during slight variations in the speed of the driving roll as may be occasioned by slight change in motor speed due to change in load or by belt slippage. In such cases an increase in tension exmy invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment for receiving material to be wound thereon, a-

drive mechanism including a driving roll for frictional engagement with material wound on the beam, a lever supporting the beam, means supporting the lever including a hydraulic motor having a piston with a stem pivotally connected to the lever, and means connected to the lever for varying the pressure in the hydraulic motor in response to movement of the lever.

2. Beam drive arrangement comprising a beam for receiving layers of material to be wound thereon, a fuicrum'ed lever forming a bearing for the beam, 9. drive mechanism including a driving roll frictionally engaging the material wound on the beam to rotate the beam and to act as a support for the beam and the lever, a weight connected to the lever and biasing the beam towards the driving roll during starting, and means to vary the friction between the beam and the driving roll with increasing weight of the beam comprising a hydraulic motor having a piston with a stem pivotally connected to the beam, a conduit supplying fluid at constant pressure to the motor, a discharge conduit including a valve for the motor having an arm, and a link the valve in response to movement of the lever.

ERNEST L. RICHARDSON. 

